The report of www.thomas-anders.ru team
Translated by beilie

Thomas Anders’ press-conference before his concert in Kremlin (Moscow).
April 03, 2004

On April, 4th Thomas Anders met with journalists in "Marriott Grand" Hotel. This meeting was organized by a tour agency ICA. Unfortunately, there were no representatives of the central TV channels, and Thomas sometimes escaped from the direct answers.

Vasily Kozlov ("Moskovskaya Pravda"): Why on Earth did you wittingly give false information, that your new album is the 19th? In reality it is your 8th solo album! You were soloing in MT, but it doesn’t mean, that this duo is your own solo-project. You know, Dieter Bohlen did not allow himself pick together the numbers of MT albums and "Blue System" albums!

TA: This is my 19th recorded album. If Dieter Bohlen uses other numeration, it’s his own problem.

Ilya (www.moderntalking.ru): My question concerns the new Thomas’ album. Can you name the tenderest or the most modern song?

TA: It’s difficult to answer this question. I spent last 7-8 months recording this album, choosing songs and producing. It’s difficult for me to answer, as it’s difficult for a person, having many children, to say who’s more tender and who likes rock-n-roll. I cannot determine it clearly; maybe, it depends on fans – which song will they choose? I’ll see it by their reaction during the concerts.

Ilya (www.moderntalking.ru): Is there some special topic in Thomas Anders’ songs, which he would like to touch upon, but still couldn’t do that because of different circumstances?

TA: No, there’s no such a topic. I think that my music was created to entertain people. I wouldn’t sing something about the salvation of tropical woods or about politics. I consider my predestination as singing songs which can make people dream and feel a bit happier.

Question: What was the strongest misunderstanding between Russia and the Western ideology, which you could break during your first visit to Russia?

TA: I cannot say clearly that it was something similar to reality. Because a person is forming his perception on the base of his own imagination. My first visit to Russia was almost 17 years ago, on October, 1987. At that time the society was quite different: I couldn’t communicate with the people directly and talk with them. Nevertheless, every time after coming on the stage I felt the excitement of audience, its energy coming back to me. I feel that people truly appreciate me, that’s why I like to come here again and again. I think that there are very good people live here, in Russia.

Question: You have recorded few wonderful albums before the MT comeback. Sorry to say, your current album is just a simple pop. Are you planning to resume your previous really incredible style?

TA: At first I’d like to thank a girl for she liked my creative work – my "soul" and jazz albums. I consider "This time" as a step from MT to my solo work. I think, if this step would be too large, for example, if I would record a pure jazz, the majority would not understand and appreciate it. Of course, this album doesn’t reflect all my creative potential of an artist and a singer. It is much wider, you know. But at the same time I don’t see anything reprehensible in my current style.

Question: Hello, Thomas! We’re happy to see you in Moscow! My question doesn’t touch upon music. If you would be able to change something in this world, what would you change and why?

TA: There’s a great number of things to change in this world. Maybe, at first I would change people’ attitude and make them respect each other. If everyone would treat his neighbor with respect, even if he expresses the opposite point of view, our world would become much better!

Vitaly Sirotkin (www.moderntalking.ru): Thomas, we’ve got acquainted with your creative work a long time ago, and we know, that you’ve got a number of songs, which were ready to be published (I mean the project "Chain Reaction", "Phantomas") Still, they were not published. Will you give a chance for us, your fans, to hear them?

TA: I think, we will not publish the songs, which were not published before. It is quite difficult, at least while I’m alive. On the one hand, I feel that I’m strong and able enough to record a new material. On the other hand, all these half-known songs were already published before within the different labels, and now it’s quite difficult to collect all of them together. Maybe, when I’ll be at death’s door, record-companies will collect all these songs and record a box "280 unknown songs of Thomas Anders"…

Vitaly Sirotkin (www.moderntalking.ru): Are you going to record a DVD, as Fancy did?

TA: Probably, at the end of this year we will see a new DVD, including the concert live-records, clips, interview passages and backstage shooting… Actually, I have these plans.

Vitaly Sirotkin (www.moderntalking.ru): Are you going to record a solo-album, including remixes of your songs?

TA: No, I don’t think I’ll do that.

Natalya Fedorova (www.thomas-anders.ru): Thomas, you have a lot of wonderful songs, devoted to girls. When will you create something like "Russian Girls" or "Moscow night"? I mean the songs devoted to our country, where you have so many fans!

TA: Thank you very much for your question! Your idea is very interesting! Maybe, it’s time to think about the album consists of 25 tracks, and each track would be named as a girl from one country…

Well, seriously speaking, if a song contains a name, this name has to sound well and has to match with the melody. I know a few names, which are truly impossible to be sung! However, I will possibly include something concerned with Russia in my next album…

Andrey (Information agency "UNPRESS"): Last year I heard news about your participation in a TV-game in Germany. You won a pretty sum of money and send it to one of the Children’ funds. Could you tell us about it in details? What kind of charity actions did you participate in?

TA: Yes, I took part in this show. Somehow it looks like a Russian show "Who wants to become a millionaire?" I won around 125.000 euro. From the beginning I was sure that I want to give this sum to children. But not to some kind of poor children, because there are many poor children in the world. And there are many charity funds in the world as well, which take care of these children. I also didn’t want to give this money to some sick children. And suddenly I met a man whose name is Henric Wander from Romania, whose fund is helping children, specially talented in something - architecture, dancing, etc. If their parents are not able to support them financially and to help them develop their talents, this fund helps them to receive a good education. So, I gave this money to that fund.

Svetlana (newspaper "Boulevard," Kiev): My question concerns children as well. You know for sure all positive and negative sides of professional singer’s career. Would you wish such a destiny to your son? Whom would you like to see him?

TA: I think that my son is a person who has his own right to make his own choice. Everyone has his own special talent. Some were lucky to discover it, some even live unaware of it. I wish my son to be happy and to discover his own talent that he has for sure. Maybe, he is talented in music, maybe in something else.

Tatiana (newspaper "Boulevard", Kiev): Do you feel yourself as a completely realized person? Or, maybe, you are planning some new experiments? For example, taking part in musical… And you know, Thomas, you look wonderful!

TA: Thank you for your words! Well, I hope that I still have some hidden talents to open; otherwise my life would be absolutely boring! Recently I tried myself as a TV-presenter. We had the first telecast, and tomorrow we’ll have the second one in Germany. I liked to work on it, and those who watched it already also liked it! What about musical… well, it is my old dream! The problem is that even a musical played 20-25 times needs few weeks of rehearsal. I mean that in that case I would have to devote myself totally to it for almost 3-4 months! I would not be able to make any performances during this period. But still I hope to have a chance to do it some day.

Inessa (newspaper "Friendship"): I heard that all artistic people as usual feel special associations with different colors. You are an incredibly artistic and talented person! Tell me, please, which color do you associate your songs and music with?

TA: I don’t have any kind of connection between my music and a special color. It’s impossible for me! First of all, because I’m a talented man, my talent has few different tints. Secondly, music itself has few different tints! That’s why my music is presented by a whole rainbow spectrum! I think, if I’d choose only one color, the rest of the world would become black-and-white and not interesting at all!

Svetlana (www.moderntalking.com.ua): Yesterday I’ve been in your concert in St. Petersburg. I liked it very much! I noticed a back-vocal girl with you. Can you tell a bit about her? And one more question: are you planning to act in a film again? If yes, don’t you like to change your "bad" image into the "good" image?

TA: What about a back-vocal girl – I decided to invite her after recording of a single "King of love". It needed a large part of a feminine vocal. My new program, firstly presented in Russia, contains the songs with feminine vocal, that’s why we invited a girl on the stage. At first I had some doubts – because the rest of the band (musicians, technicians) consists of men. I feared for her, thinking that she might feel psychologically uncomfortable. But I’m glad to know that now a girl became a part of a band, and I hope she would like to travel with us.

What about acting in a film and my "bad" roles – I’m very happy to act as a "bad" character, because this image is directly opposite to my common image. It would be so boring to act as a "good" character, because in that case I would have to play a part of myself!